Never Tell Your Friends How Much Money You're Making

Haha...

Actually, you just need new friends Richer ones, that is

I second that absolutely, those with a different world-view than you will undoubtedly have a few choice words to say about what you are doing.

Not to mention, borrow cash.

I rather let them be them and keep my earnings to myself.

My ego needs no stroking.

But pps -- how much money would you be making? Most 25 year olds *I* know have had 2-3 jobs, usually make $50-$60k at least, so I'm surprised they wouldn't be doing the same

But... anyways, I know what you mean, been there, done that, got the t-shirt

I never tell my friends how much i make (in my day job)... frankly it isn't any of their business and shouldnt matter... besides, people are weird about money (haha)... but for some reason people dont care about shouting their IM income... strange how easy it is to hide behind a computer

I agree - but it is definitely hard not to do this.

Especially if you have family members who like to tell their friends of your successes. Some people just feel proud to say that they have a brother or a friend who is successful and they just want to share it.

I can definitely relate though. When my hosting business got huge, all of the sudden things change.

It was almost like I was some celebrity or something. I was young and making more money than my friends parents did and everyone wanted a piece of it.

It was so weird because these people who I haven't met before or who were in my grade school classes from 10+ years ago would come up to me and talk to me as if they knew me and as if I were a friend to them.

It took me awhile to figure out what was going on. I was like man all of the sudden I am the popular guy and have no idea why. Eventually I discovered it was because like everybody in the city knew about my business and knew that I was some young kid making bank.

People definitely want to free load off you, that is for sure. It's pretty pathetic IMO.

I can't tell you how many people came up to me to tell me about their awesome business idea they wanted me to invest in. It's funny because not a single one of them ever produced any proof that they could successfully develop their idea into a business. Some even wanted me to invest in it for them and RUN it for them like I am some kind of idiot or something.

'Yeah sure I'll provide you with the start up capital and set up your business for you for 50% of the profit!'

Give me a break.

So what, I should give you 50% of MY profit because you came up with some sh*ty idea that probably took you an hour of your time to come up with?

I definitely have learned a lesson though. I am no longer telling my personal friends my income - it just makes it so hard to tell who really is your friend from those who just wants to leech off you.

I have no idea how much my friends and family make. They have no idea how much I make. If you dropped in on a family or friend gathering and even brought up the topic, I bet it would fall silent and everyone would bristle. We're private folks.

Cheers,
Becky

Yes, I prefer to remain the "jobless" friend that no one asks for money since they assume I have none.

Dude, I could use a bigger TV - can I hit you up for that?

I actually had the opposite experience when I got out of the military and quickly broke the 6 figure mark (as a programmer). Almost ALL of my friends disappeared. Of the very few who didn't, they said my success made them (the ones who disappeared) feel inadequate, etc.

This just happened to me again.
I hadn't seen my best friend from high school since I was 22 (I'm 39 now). We ran into each other last year, and started hanging out again. Everything was cool, until he realized how much I made and how little I worked. The only reason I mentioned it to him was because he said he needed to make some extra money to finance a project, so I eagerly 'sold' him on IM. I showed him my sites, my CB accounts, etc., thinking I was doing a good thing. He almost immediately quit returning calls, etc.

Yep, people who don't want to make an effort to make money are worst. They think since you make money you can spend as much as you want. Oh you got money it's easy for you. I'm just starting out but I am not planning on telling anyone how much I make, except for taxes lol :p

I just gave up on telling anything. When people ask me I just tell them I am broke and unemployed. It is much easier this way then having to deal with the bull.

Q: How much do you make?
A: Enough to pay my bills.

But really, I would have no desire to be friends with people who would even consider asking me that question. My mom doesn't even know how much I make. That's between me and my uncle Sam.

It helps that I live a very low-key lifestyle. While I was in the US I had a small 1 BR apartment, no car, walked everywhere, cooked at home. Now I travel cheap, stay in hostels, do free stuff. Most people assume I'm poor.

When people ask me what I do I tell them I develop websites.

As an entrepreneur your different than employees. I have found that most of my closest friends are entrepreneurs and we alway encourage each other. I ve just found i have more in common with entrepreneurial types and less and less with corporates it just seems to be a natural progression I guess. When people tell me they are lawyer of accountant I just find i dont have much to say on that subject. I have found it to be so important to surround myself with outgoing encouraging people. Sometimes your oldest friends aren't necessarily your best. I dont understand people who say that others think what they do online is weird or pathetic. Although Im still getting going in IM, when people ask me what I do. I tell them Im starting a marketing business and that usually brings compliments like "good for you". And this is exactly what it is that I am doing. I have employees (although freelance) and I hope soon to be paying tax revenue

Dont tell your EX WIFE either. First jealousy then the asking for money sets in.

As long as my sons good dont see why she can make her own.

I guess another way of looking at it is it's a way of finding out who your TRUE friends are, surely a good friend wouldn't ask for money unless they were really desperate? I guess also, they don't fully understand how much time, money and effort and sacrifices you made to get this far, they just see money magically going into your bank account.

Maybe you should fake yoru down fall and start asking THEM for money? Of course, that is slightly silly, but you could actually start to plant the seed by saying things have slowed down a lot due to the recession, or one of a million other things you could think of.

Phil

Everybody here has a lovely position.

This happens to people that win the lottery. Suddenly they have lots of "friends" and "family" appear that they hadn't seen or thought of in years. It can cause hard feelings and loss of friendships if you help them or if you turn them down. Either way.

There is some social thing going on where friends who are not in your income bracket suddenly feel uncomfortable with you if they know you have money. This is true even if they aren't seeking anything. Just the way you talk, the things you dwell on, the things you are interested in, your friends don't match anymore. You talk about getting a new Mercedes, they are talking about a used Honda. You plan on traveling to Vail to ski, they are worried about groceries. You get a new Mac, they get memory for their old computer. On and on...

The solution of course is to hang out with like kind folks. That probably will happen naturally.

It is great to hang around like-minded friends
in the IM niche, talking about IM stuff...(not
how much money we made...lol)

I realised when I talk to friends who knew
nothing much about IM but greatly amazed
by how much money we made, it is
a different dynamic....they just want
to hear about the $$$....

so stick to friends with the same synergy...my 2 cents.

John

Sounds like the real lesson is don't give out money if you're going to regret it.

Jason:

Just say no. There is nothing wrong with saying no when someone asks you for money. It's your money, and they can ask all they want, but it's really OK to say "no".

Envy is a powerful human emotion, and humanities ability to rationalize any action is equally strong.

"Well I was his friend when he was poor so obviously he now owes me a Caribbean vacation.... "

I figure privacy is the best recipe in this regard.

Hahahahaa, I am open and honest, so it is hard not to answer a direct question, but this is one I would agree with you.

People assume since I am in business, I must work long hours and make little money.

Then other people assume that I must make a lot of money since I travel a lot. The amount you travel and the money you make are NOT related, but people assume it is.

I just say more then I did at my old job, thats all they need to know, they dont need to know how much more.

Yes I agree with you.. don't ever tell anyone about your Income.. not only like ATM machine but they start to be jelouse.

I would second this! I made the mistake of teaching my cash-strapped friend what I do... and got accused of being a spammer!!! :"(

Then I spent the rest of the afternoon explaining Adwords, Affiliate marketing, permission-based email marketing and etc.

Then I took a nap. Sadly, it was a waste of time, they just heard "$" not "work=$".

It will always be better to keep a low profile as this will helps to avoid unnecessary things from happening.

I agree 100% that it is always better to mix around with like minded people who have good understanding on how the world works when it comes to money.

Zack

Haha, I'm glad I follow my parents and girlfriend advice to keep my profile low to my friends. I'm reach my 5 figure milestone profit last month (I'm 19 now) and yet very low friends of mine know about this. It's sad that I can't share my success with my friends but this helps me to keep out of trouble.

Don't your agree?

I'm in that same boat with the people who let everyone think they're broke. Most people just see me as the guy who doesn't have a job so he doesn't have any money. For some reason they never seem to question how I continually buy nice things or go out with them all of the time.

Oh well. I think I'll just be "the broke friend who can't find a job".

Matt

I don't even tell my girlfriend how much I make. She knows I earn well above the average, but she has no clue how far above the average. In my experience, money and personal relationships dont blend well.

I agree with many of the posts here. I'm also young, 22 years old and have been fortunate to find a good degree of success early on in life.

Was talking with a friend yesterday and we were taking some time out of work hanging at his house (he's also in business). We simply took some time to admire the fact that we wern't in some dead end job and we COULD sit there and to sweet fcuk all and not have to worry about money, not worry about being late for work or anything else that often comes with being Just Over Broke. Thats the beauty of being in the business we're in!

Most of my friends know that I make a decent amount of money, they don't know exactly how much and I have a mixed bunch of friends. Some work in fast food places and some are entrepreneurs, some trainee solicitors and so forth - none of them ever beg me for money, although I do help friends out by lending small amounts when needed (I'm talking £20 - £150).

Recently my younger brother has just started University, he wants me to lend him about £1000 so he can buy an iMac as he's fallen out a little with Dad. Which I don't have a real problem with as its family, although its probably the largest amount I've lent someone before.

I think its fine for friends and relatives to have an idea as to how much you earn, as long as they don't know the specifics. I NEVER show anyone exactly how much I have in the bank - thats for my eyes only. Also, lend money sure - but make sure they pay you back.

If you did ask me for money, I would want to know why you need it, what is your exit strategy to pay it back. Once you set these questions in place, people know not to ask you. If they are in a position need the money, good chance they dont have it.

I will spend countless time helping someone in earning the money, but not just hand it over.

I will simply tell them to get lost . End of story. LOL

A good advice... never tell how much money you're making unless is for E-Marketing purposes.

And while you're thinking of it... you need to start making new friends who don't call you just for the money you're making :S

K.

If i were you, i will screw all the friends up. The only thing i will share is the secret how you make your money. Or may be charge them at a lover price.

But to avoid this problem, keep your profile low...

All the best to you. ATM machine

I think it is hard to hide my online income. It is not that I am making a lot of money doing this, but I have worked so hard on this, and I am so proud of what I have acomplished. I am making money from things (articles and sites) I have made myself!

When the beers has gone into my blood and I start people start asking me about what I do, I can't resist mentioning it. My online income is not yet at a level where it will scare people away, nor make them want to borrow it. It is just proof that this works, and that I am on to something.

Ha ha.. this is really a nice refreshing post.. nice to discuss the problem that almost every individual faces... i think its the personal matter. Its always better to keep your earnings figure to yourself as it will help you keep your profile to the desired level and help you avoid un necessary situational actions. Thanks

This reminds me of a story told by David Bowden, an Australian futures trader and mentor, and one of the world's leading Gann theorists. When he began making serious money trading the markets, everyone he knew began calling him for advice. He spent more time advising his friends on the phone (for free) than he did working. He was discussing this one day with his accountant who suggested he sit them all down in a room and charge them $400 for the advice. He did. This became a successful training operation (Safety in the Market) which is still operating today.

They will not take advantage of you, they will think you have a magic money tree.

Watch out for the in-laws as well ; ) My mother in law, sister in law and grandmother in law constantly try to hit us up. For example they'll plan a family getaway and try to get me to cover it. Heck my mother in law tried for nearly a year to get us to buy a new house, if only she'd get a job she might be able too. lol

Jason Parker? My 2nd Cousin?!

Don't you owe me $100????

So how much are you making and whats my share?

I am in a unique position, my family has always been fairly successful in whatever they do and I am the black sheep...

For instance:
Dad = webmaster of a #1 family tree website (RIP)
Mum = Hairdresser (ret)
Older brother (court official)
Younger brother (maths genius)
Younger brother social worker (Phd, Ba)
Step brother = mechanic
Step brother = specialist fitter/electrician who gets sent all over the world
Grandad = carpenter/artist
Uncle = house builder

And my so-called friends are all the same...

Don't even get me on about what will happen at school reunion, Mr Most Likely to be a Tramp (been there, done that and was the highest paid tramp in Paris at one time when I needed some money one day and set myself up in business and earnt £200-350 per day! lol)

Just once I would love to turn around and tell them I earn $4000+ each month for sitting on my ass working at the computer after spending 5 years trying, building contacts, learning and struggling. That way I won't be a failure in their eyes, it is just starting for me so no one take it away lol

It will be so comforting for once to let them know just how successful I am and watch their faces drop in dismay, please don't anyone take that satisfaction from me lol

Money is a weird thing though, when I do have it I think nothing of lending it or helping others...just once I wish they wouldn't look down their noses at me :p

If they use you as ATM machine you might consider getting new friends.
:-)

Sounds harsh at first, but I mean it. When someone develops in business and income, he usually also develops in aspects of his personality and he may just have outgrown his old network of people.

Ralf

Money is the root cause of all evil. Never disclose how much you are earning to anyone except some people whom you trust.

You can tell them you have lots of expenses, and it is hard to afford them,
like you need to pay your bills, health insurance, your wife's credit card bills etc..

What we should beware of is the fact that online success may not be infinite. Best to save your money for a very rainy day instead of paying off wedding dresses, parking tickets, and teeth whitening without getting something in return.

what a bunch of misers!! if your lucky and clever enough to be making a large amount of money, whats wrong with spreading some out?

i was making a killing some time back and had no problem helping out the people around me, but was also not afraid to say no. nowdays im not and i dont and no one expects me too. thats not the reason for the dramatic loss of income by the way

life's too short to keep quiet or secrative just so your not harrased about money.

You could try:

"The FTC cracked down on my internet business. I'm broke now!"

:p

I never tell anyone how much I earn - it's none of their business. Most of my friends and family used to assume I was just a struggling single mother and I let them keep thinking this. They would whine at me to 'go out and get a real job' or 'stop wasting time on the internet'.

Then I built a lovely new home on the beach, bought a new car and started taking trips abroad each year. Now they're begging to explain what I do and how I'm affording it all. I still won't tell them how much I earn, but I explain that I work hard for every penny with my little online business each day of my life. They don't seem to believe me LOL

Bianca

A gentleman doesn't ask and a gentleman doesn't tell.

So Jason, how much money do you make? ... only kidding

I found when I was starting out no matter what I told people about what I do they always had the idea that working online was a great "hobby" or "side business" but never as a "career." Once I got a little success and it was evident I was doing well, the skepticism was gone and the same people started to ask how they can make money online too. I also got plenty of requests like the ones you mentioned.

Thank goodness I don't have any freeloaders in my circle of family and friends like what has been discussed! Having said that, I think it is probably a good idea to keep to yourself that you have an internet business that you live on. The responses I get are invariably negative, and they range from shock to disbelief to utter skepticism! It is utterly draining and exhausting to explain to people what you do and how you generate money, from my experience, and the majority of people still have that 'job' mindset and simply cannot wrap their heads around the idea of running your very own internet business that can generate 6 or even 7 figures. It truly is a lost cause trying to explain and convince people about what you're doing, and most of the time I just try to sidestep the issue whenever possible! I have tried to explain on a couple of occasions, and I was just met with blank stares and unyielding skepticism, and I just got so tired and exhausted trying to overcome all this negativity!

I'd be telling the all to F Off, and not in a nice way. Nobody needs parasites in their life.

Actually, none of my friends knows or understands what I do. My neighbours have no idea that I make any money, and they probably wonder how the hell I pay the rent when I "laze about the house" all day. Somehow, our Korean neighbour has twigged to what I do and has pestered my wife to teach her Internet marketing. We just tell her she needs to learn English first.

I wouldn't tell people what I make but I would also get rid of "friends" who treat me like an ATM Machine.

None of their business how much you are making. They chose to live their lifestyle and you chose yours.

Sucks to be in a day job..

I never tell anyone what I am making!

My friends actually think I am struggling for money because I do most of my work at home! lol

If only they knew!

GoGetta

Successful people seldom talk or tell others of their income level. It's not only a private thing - but it's also called asset protection. There are lots of predators in our world who want something for nothing.

Once you reach a certain income level for a period of time - your life priorities will usually change. Your interest in seeking out better quality in houses, cars, computers, toys, clothes, furniture and "friends" will usally change as well.

The thing is that it's really difficult to keep your mouth shut when you start having success. I remember when i first started making money i told every single person i could i was so excited and happy. I would show them massive clickbank checks etc.

I am far better about this now but it stills takes a lot of discipline to keep quiet

I agree with " Jasonparker ". We shouldn't tell that how much money we are making to anyone, not only to the friends. I had and still facing some similar problems by telling my earnings to the people.

Earnings are personal and should be kept that way.

It is all to easy for anyone to say to anyone 'i earn xxx,xxx' when in reality they only earn 'xx,xxx'

Riz

If you have a substantial amount of $$$
expect to change your phone number
due all the old ladies whose cats need surgery
and all the scammers with "sick kids" who need $75,000

Those aren't friends.

You aren't obligated to give them any money at all anyway.

Don't tell your ex-wife either

Well yeah it's kinda true... but like someone mentioned already, it's very difficult once you start to succeed even more when you have one of those 500$+ days for the first time and you just can't keep your mouth shut no matter how much you've told yourself you won't tell anyone... !! It's a skill to be able to keep it to yourself once you actually do make a small fortune...! haha but that's life... and to those who say that friends who ask for money aren't actually friends ... well that's only partially true.. because I do have some friends who'd also give me money whenever I asked if they actually had any spare... and now that I have it and if they ask naturally I'll give it to them and even if they keep asking and asking they might become more dependent on you and you might think they are only your friends for the money but when you look back and the were actually the first ones to spare you some even when they didn't have "that" much they didn't think twice about givin' ya and have a smile on their faces nontheless although I have to agree some "friends" do start phoning suddenly once they find out your making such a fortune and you got to have the instict to distinguish those from your real pals.. which shouldn't be too hard if you have common sense..!!

haha but like a in a qoute which I absolutely adore

"common sense is not that common" could apply.. haha but stilll

lol this is a wall of text.

I wouold never disclose my income to anyone - apart from my accountant of course

I agree. Never tell those around you what you earn. I know from conversations that I earn more than my friends in around 20 hours a week, as they do in their 40+ hour weeks in middle management jobs.

Apart from sounding like you are bragging, I have found that any inclination that you are earning significant sums online turns you into a target for people asking "how can I get cash online like you". A lot of people assume that because its online "stuff" that it gives them a right to learn how you do it!

I don't see what wrong with sharing opportunities with family and friends. Wouldn't it be whole lot better to see everyone around you living better???

You'd think that wouldn't you? But the problem is when they take it for granted, and no matter what you do people will secretly resent you if you are too open. You can say yes a million times, but once you say no that one time you are the worlds biggest prick who thinks you're better then them.

The way people react to you status speaks volumes about them! Keep doing what you are doing and in time you will notice that you will be hanging out with people on your wavelength.

Here's a lesson, we teach people how to treat us and if you behave like an ATM then you will be treated like one.

Some people like to flaunt their wealth, some want to hide it.

No one way is wrong, it really does come down to preference
and personality.

I'm the type where I don't want people to think I'm "broke" or
destitute just because I make a good living online. It's an image
I don't care to have. It's a poor image, and I pesonally like people
to believe I have all this money I at sometimes in my life didn't
really have - but now do

You are basically a mirror. And people reflect what you see in
yourself. I believe I'm rich, handsome, and super cool. And I'm
real about it, so that's the reflection I get back every single
time.

People will tell you basically what you belive about yourself, and
if you want your friends and family to think your a bum off the
streets when in reality your making +$5000 a month just so you
can "avoid" questions like "Can you help me?" or "How did you do
it?"...well, knock yourself out.

But someone mentioned here that you can make money from
people wanting to learn what you do in offline seminars. If you like
speaking. If teaching is something you really enjoy, you'll jump at
the opportunity to help people in your local community get on their
feet and make a financial future for themselves.

Atleast, that's what I do anyway. Everyone takes this on differently,
and I've never had the problem of someone bugging me or making me
feel bad about a decision NOT to give them money, because I always
keep control of the situation. If you get upset about it, people will
feed into that weakness, next thing you know your avoiding people to
prevent it from happening again.

I guess I have built-in camouflage. I am 70, so I just tell people that I am retired and get Social Security - which is true as far as it goes.
Combine that with the 1993 Jeep Cherokee I drive and nobody asks how much money I make.
What amazes me are the number of people on-line who should know better, who ask if I would "look over" their articles and make corrections, or re-write their sales pages for them. These people never offer to pay and usually want results the next day. Maybe they assume that, since I am retired, I have a lot of time on my hands. Actually, time is more valuable to me than money and a lot harder to come by.

if its my close friend thats one thing but I usually just none of your business. personally its rude to ask someone how much they make in the first place.

Easier said then done, but I found this is the best way to avoid those who will not understand. If they are reasonable I see no reason not to help them, but if they make it a habit then something has to give.

I never tell people how much I make. And I've gotten really good at telling people "no". I help people financially when it's the right situation. I say "no" more often than "yes" because I can spot a free loader a mile away. Some people get annoyed or take it personally when I say "no" and then I seldom hear from them again, which tells me I made the right decision. I worked my ass off for my money and I'm nobody's atm machine.

Luckily I have never had to deal with friends asking me for money, however, back in october when my friends asked how much I made for that month and I told them. Most of them actually didnt believe me, even though it really wasn't that much but for my age I suppose it isn't normal to make anything over $1000 in a month.

Well, in my experience...

It works to be really indirect about how much you make. Not really giving any round figures or anything. Answers like "It pays the bills and more", or
"Enough to be comfortable".

So, I guess that means getting into the IM niche and promoting your eBook/membership site/email course by showing how much money you make with your cash-sucking system is out of the question... unless you do it under a pseudonym. Because even if you keep your mouth shut, some of your more nosy friends and relatives might Google their way to your sales page.

ha ha ha interesting. I think you can tell your friends, will not create that much problem, but don't tell your relatives

Is it just me or what?

Or, it is just the advantage for being an Asian over an European/American? Different culture or what?

Tell me!

Over here, people love to tell their relatives and friends how much money they make... but with intentions.

* Whenever people with money know how much money you've made, they pay attention to you... which could lead to more business opportunities if you know how to exploit them.

* People with less money would try to borrow money from you. They'll become your parasites. But you should know how to handle it and take advantage of them to become your mouthpiece without you lending them money!


Hardi

So You dont want to Help them
If you are Earning like 2K in a month nothing is wrong in giving 100$ to someone if he needs it

If You cant spend on your friends you dont deserve to get from frnds too

In a way it shows you who your real friends are. I have rich friends, I have never asked for a dime from them in my entire life, and that includes the rough financial times I've been through in the past.

Although, if a friend is genuinely having serious money troubles in their life, I don't think it's wrong of them to ask for help from a good friend. But when old friends are calling up asking you to pay for their teeth whitening, that is simply out of order. Best left as old friends, by the looks of it.

I am happy to tell people how much I earn ... because it is not a huge amount. I can downplay it even more by saying "well if you divide that by the hours I put in .... ".

But if it was a huge amount and I was doing little hours ... well I might keep quiet then, and just tell people who I feel can handle it, which usually means open-minded, self-sufficient and non-jealous type people.

Also, never tell your wife how much you're making

isn't this the best time to figure out who is your true friend?

i remember one story: a guy won a big lottery so he kept it a secret and turned around to borrow money from his friends. very few lend him money. now he knows who is real friend. so now he can let the world know he has won the lottery.

i do believe in hanging around with true entreprenurs, they encourage you to make more and compete with you to make more. it doens't satisfy the ego at all by letting the losers know you are rich rather inviting all kinds of trouble.

i'd rather keep very low profile with my "current" friends.

If you don't want to tell them face to face, don't put it on your sales page, lol.Can't wait to be faced with that problem, ha ha .

Just lurking and reading but this post is hilarious!

Yep this happens alot

That's quite a predicament you have there. I have the same problem because I'm an open book. They know I'm an investor and I make a lot of money. But I do agree with the second post. You just need new friends. Not necessarily richer friends. Just friends who won't treat you like an ATM machine. If you're making a lot of money, people will know even if you don't tell them. Learn to say no. If they get mad, then they're not real friends.

so how exactly do you guys make money. what systems are you utilizing ????

Thank you for the advice. Appreciate it.

I think people are missing the point. The OP is saying he gets tired of being asked and as a result wishes to keep his income secret. Nobody likes saying no, but some people get put in that position more then others.

The best thing is to joke for question "What do you do? For example, to answer with a serious face "I'm a war baron" without any explanations. People either will think you're joking and change the topic or will be scared. That's how I do. Usually it lets me talk with new people about everything in the world, but not about the job and earnings.

here's the funny dilemma...

if you tell others how much you make, they get jealous of you...
if you don't tell others how much you make, then sometimes they don't take you seriously and ask annoying questions like "why don't you get a job?" when in fact, you make much more money than their job...

how much money you make is something personal, only a nut would go up to someone and ask " sooo, how much do you make??"

So what does it mean when I tell my friends how much money I'm making and they snicker, offer to buy my dinner, then give me a $20 when we say goodbye?

Interesting topic, I find that talking about income is fine if they ask. BUT it all depends on the type of friends.

Old friends of mine give me shocked and jealous looks when I tell them. (I don't hang out with them anymore - my choice)

I surround myself with successful people who are all working towards bigger and better things in life.

I've met people who find any excuse to tell people how much they earn. Personally I dont mind but I know others think they're "bragging".

It's a challenging one. The easiest way is don't tell anyone unless they ask

How to build your IM list.

Start a discussion on something personal about yourself.

Some ideas:

Is $2000 too much to pay my CPA?
My lawyer charges me $400. What does yours charge?
Can I claim over $100 K as deductions for my taxes this year?
I earn $50K a month offline!

Then join in on the conversation as it progresses.

Watch your visitor counter spin!

I can't wait until I have this problem lol! I'm a total newbie to IM and I haven't made a dime from it yet. My friends and family all know I'm broke and living on a very limited income, so when I start to make some significant $ online, they're going to notice because I'll suddenly have a car again, be moving out of my tiny apartment, etc. Personally, I vowed to myself that once I'm making a full-time income from IM I'd teach my friends and family how to do it, thereby improving their lives. I truly want everyone I care about to have financial freedom and not have to work some day job that stresses them out and robs them of time with family, etc. I see no need to reveal exactly how much I make, that's my business and no one else's. There are however, some people I may tell, chiefly my father. He just turned 70, and is still working a day job. He makes decent money, but I'd love it if he could retire soon. And I have no problem helping out a friend in need, but will not be treated like an ATM!!

I have been home based since WAAAAAAAY before it was the 'thing to do' - I started in mailorder back in the 80's, and switched to the 'net in '94. And trust me - I have more than paid my dues....I never tell anyone what I make - but it is obvious that I don't make minimum wage because I do live a nice lifestyle ;-)

But what I hate even more than the money requests - are the people that tell me how 'lucky' I am to work from home......like luck was what got me to this point...YIKES.....

Yes, I admit sometime luck does play a role - but I also believe the old adage of 'the harder I work...the luckier I get'.

I spent a lot of years of 'nose to the grindstone' learning and working to get here - and to be honest - as most of us can attest - most people could do the same if they would put forth the same effort.

Melody

From when we were young we were taught to keep our earnings close to our chests because it brings out the ugly in some people and can end up becoming a bone of contention.

I think it's because some people associate earnings with personal worth and value which in my opinion is completely subjective, you are worth what you feel you are, especially in circumstances where you may not financially earn much but are happy and satisfied in your job.

I think in your situation it's best to downplay your earnings from now on and even start to play a little poor.

Very good advice...

I have some experience with that too... Unfortunate and to be honest I have had the one or the other friendship end because of similar things like that.

Especially borrowing money to friends! I would not to that again.

And... doing business with friends is shaky as well. Business is business and that's it.

If you do things with friends too much, then they start to expect some kind of favors all the time and I find trust can be broken quickly.

Unfortunately have had some bad experiences in the past.

Learned my lesson :-)

I'm not at the point where I have to worry about hiding my income, but I do have trouble finding people to talk to who "get it". I am seeing success with a handful of websites - $100 from Google here, money in my PayPay account there, more money from eBookMall, and money from off-line clients...

I know that I finally figured it out, and now have to replicate the process and have 10 websites, then 25, then 50 websites... I keep slogging on and moving forward, never giving up but learning from my mistakes....

I have tried talking with a web designer friend of mine, and he just makes fun of my salesletters with the headlines with large red font... but he has never sold a digital product yet... and yet just the other day he asked for some advice on behalf of a client of his who has a wedding planner and simple website... and he wanted to know how to sell the wedding planner as a pdf download.

I spent an hour crafting an email describing how to first find a market, not a product, and if there is a market and money is trading hands, how to re-purpose content, to think about setting up the content in a simple membership site .... how to set up a marketing funnel and give away free content at the entrance of the funnel with big time wedding consulting fees at the other end ...

how to do any thing but just sell a $49.95 ebook... I haven't heard from him in a week.... it was probably too much....

It is a lonely profession... even before you really make money...

And that is why I come here to hang out, to realize that I'm not crazy...

Or maybe, we ARE crazy! lol

Here's to the crazy ones on this forum who never give up and still believe that success is not from luck or from their degree or from their employees union, but from their hard work, never quitting, and learning from our mistakes.

-Mike D.

I dont think that it is anyones business how much money you are making to begin with, I have people ask me that all the time and tell them that I am scraping by of course since we aresoon opening a Cafe everyone has figured it out but I still wont tell them what I make.

There is a saying where I come from.

NEVER ASK A GIRL HER AGE AND NEVER ASK A GUY HIS INCOME.

I dont discuss personal finances with my friends I dont know how much they make and they dont know how much I make and I like it that way.

Back when I was in sales, I earned a pretty big commission check one month. I was excited & told my family & sure enough some started asking for money. When I said no, I was called selfish!

Once when talking to family members about credit, I mentioned that I had a credit card sitting at a $0 balance with $25K in available credit. A couple weeks later, one of them asked me to loan them $10,000. When I said I couldn't they said, "I was thinking you could just take a cash advance off of your credit card & I'll make the payments until I can pay it all back."

After that, I decided to stop having money conversations of any sort with my family.

I agree with don't tell your income to your friends, but I do not agree with you who hate to share or to help people surrounds you. I will see I am blessed by my God that I have a lot of money and my friend less money than me.
just my2cent.

Get the Joke! they are just kidding man. Effin show off!

Good advice!
Too bad you learned the hard way. I hope you find a way to get them off your back.

It's nobody elses business in the first place. I will only tell a friend or family member how much I am earning if they start irritating me and getting on my case about "not having a job".

I always dress nice, have a decent car, and some cool toys... I don't feel I have to hide it so people don't ask me questions.

If anyone is interested I tell them what they need to know to run a biz like mine... and you can bet your ass that 99% of folks out there can't imagine taking the plunge and investing all their time and energy into something that may not even pan out.

I deliberately make it seem like it's impossible because I know what they want is to sit on their ass all day and check their bank accounts.

Just use your common sense!

Dean

Wow... I remember starting this thread back in 2009. hehe

Funny what people find and start commenting on

New Zealand, Caribbean, Japan, Spain, France, Australia.
I wouldn't want to stay in one place, that's for sure. I love travel

Just say no to these gold diggers...let them find their own ways to make their own money.

When it comes to real friends. I only have 1. And he is quite successful, so on that level I don't have much to worry about. Now if my motorcycle group knew how much money I made I'd be screwed... I had one guy tell me when I hit a million I was expected to buy him a new 2014 Suzuki GSXR 1000 (because my goal is by the age 25).

Let's just say those are the people whom are much less likely to ever get anything from me lol.

It's always those who don't ask for anything and instead give that get farther.

it's time to choose your friends "wisely"

I agreed with most of the above posts. Friends who are with you even if you are not having a large amount of money are your true friends. I agree that we should not tell everybody about our money & our earning. But, some make friends to those who have strong bank balance.

If you give them money they will always ask for it. Over and over again.

So, Teach them! [Or me ]

haha.. i have the same kind of condition... great to know i'm not alone :-)

Thanks for the reminders..this post was 2 years ago but the point of the message still remains up to now...

"Friendly User"

this is actually good advice often overlooked (OP's post)

I tell almost nobody about it. Only those who make more money than myself know what I do on the side. Well, and my wife and my dad, because my dad's an entrepreneur, and my wife doesn't give a crap about money.